Giving your fish the joy of seasons?

[patryuji]

Just curious if anyone attempts to alter the tank parameters to simulate mild seasonal changes such as:

Altering the time the lights are on (easy to do with a timer) for longer summer days and shorter winter days.
Changing the temps of the tank...2 or 3 degrees cooler in the winter as compared to summer could even save a bit on the electricity bill.

If you do adjust for seasons do you also account for tanks with fish found south of the equator and thus handle the seasonal conditions backwards from the current season experienced in the northern hemisphere?

 

[Deitta]

Wow, cool idea. I have heard of people doing these sort of things to get the fish to spawn/mate. But never just to be more accomodating to the fish. Personally I am just figuring out how to get the tank to not kill my fish! I may work my way up to this kind of thought process in a few years..
When I saw your post sentence I thought you were talking about decorations. You know, small plastic eggs for Easter, small plastic tree with led lights for Xmas, etc. My mother-in-law would do stuff like that....

 

[Christmasfish]

I don't fiddle with lighting, but I do change the temps slowly for season.
Figure it is the least I can do for them. And it take little extra effort on my part.
At Solstice I will have bumped my tanks up to 84 for most of them. And added a lot of live plant. And down to 78 at Winter Solstice is the plan as well. And since I keep most of my tanks Dutch, or dutch styled I also am using warmer water for the seived "rain" now. I usualy use water a little under the tank temp.
(The exception is my big tank which I am doing massive changes on to keep up with algae floating in my water column).
With plants all I can keep growing is Java and watercress.(Which the otos ADooore!)

 

[Mr Burns]

[overkill alert]
i think you're doing this more for you than the fish because unless you're breeding them, i don't think the fish notice or care. i would try to keep everything as consistent as possible....

 

[smilla4]

That sounds interesting. I never thought of the inverse seasons (Srn hemi)

I remember reading a post somewhere (not here) where someone simulated sunrise and sunset for their tank.

I think it would be cool to simulate storms. Or random cloudy days.

I guess I've inadvertently adjusted my tank for the seasons. I don't use a heater so the temps drift somewhat with the weather, despite heat and a/c the temp of my apartment is cooler in the winter and warmer in the summer, and partly cuz I like to keep the windows open.

At first I had my timer adjusted to turn on after light came in through my window for a half hour so as not to shock the fish. And then to go off around sunset. But then I realized that was kind of silly as I tend to use this room after dark, so they're affected by the room lights turning on and off at all hours (I tend to wake up at odd hours in the night). So I startle them frequently. And plus I like to see my fish in the evening, so now I turn the lights on later in the morning so I can keep them on later at night.

-----------
Christmasfish, why do you change the temps at the solstice? I'm not quite sure what you're saying about the "rain" (I don't know much about dutch tanks either)... Otos like watercress? Does it grow well in the aquarium? Sorry to pepper you with questions - I'm intrigued!

 

[grimlock3000]

"I think it would be cool to simulate storms. Or random cloudy days."

This morning I simulated a random cloudy day with no food source availible.

Actually I got up late for work and did not have time to turn on the lights or feed the fish

 

[Christmasfish]

Because my tanks are planted and most are not filtered at all..A woosh of water can change the substrate and make a real mess of the tank.. So I seive the water.
And I am breeding the croaking gourami and the pugnax bettas. Everything else is just breeding along with them if they so choose..heh.
But I rather keep a solid regime that a babysitter can follow rather than
adjust for each different tank (this way for the dutch tank, this way for the bubbly on , ,this way for the one with the thing on back..blah-blah). Only the choclates get "special" separate treatment.

And overkill it may be.. *shrug* Though the subject was IF you do it, not why ya should or shouldn't.. I also Qt for 4 weeks. Float my boat, it does.
But if our fish were wild-caught at temps varying between 80-87 in the water..who the "^7! am I to tell them they have to make do with nearly 8 degrees cooler (or warmer for that matter) and the highest pH they can survive just because I want to keep other species in the tank?
Just keeping the fish at all can cause some squeaks in my animist beliefs..
keeping them miserable or in conditions any less natural than is a tank in the first place; would definitely be going against the grain.
And frequent changes are A MUST for the dutch tanks anyway. But why should I dump a bucket and cloud the water and mover the plants when I can control the flow with a sieve and add a pleasant rain sensation.
They Loove it..it is the only time the tetras come up top in the big tank that is UGF fltered. They start dancing and chasing like the cories. and the knife comes out and starts pking through the plants a lot. The betta plays in it and follows where ever the pourng is. It seems to make them hungry. And it is fun to watch fish "play" and to see the tetras pretend they are neons too. So I seive the tanks that do not need that style too.

As for the solstice, I am used to following certain points of the year anyway because of my dad's cherokee beliefs as well as celtic ones. But I follow loosely
But; as far as temp.. my grandfather did it to color condition koi and golds and some of the other fish..as well as breed the oddballs.
And a degree change every other month is really not that difficult..specially if you have large blocks of spare time like me.

 

[Allivymar]

Hahahaha grimmie; TOO funny LOL

I don't change seasons for my guys at all. The closest they get to that is the change in sunrise as the morning sun comes in thru the window and lightens the room. I do match water temps by touch only when doing water changes, so there may be a slight temp diff, but its not on purpose.

 

[Christmasfish]

Heh..i can't skip feeding! What..? And have Wu long climb the stairs to lodge a complaint again?

 

[Allivymar]

When he starts writing letters to the editor is when you're really in trouble

 

[kansaschick08]

And I am breeding the croaking gourami and the pugnax bettas.

How do YOU bread them cant it be that THEY want to bread??????

 

[Menagerie]

You enrich the environment to get an animal "in the mood." There are tons of techniques for getting animals to breed. It's done all the time.

 

[kansaschick08]

What are they?

 

[Menagerie]

The techniques?? Google "breeding (insert fish type here)" and you will get your answer. Personally, I keep fish for the sake of having fish, not for breeding. Having 6 tanks is enough, without having a grow up tank, or breeding tank, or brooding tank….

 

[Mr Burns]

BARRY WHITE

works every time...ladies....

can't get enough of your love, babe.

 

[vega]

If willing to fork out some $$$ you can try purchase ReefCon Pro and x10 light controller.

Reefcon Pro can even simulate the moon phase togehter with the x10 light controller.
You can get detail info from ReefCon site.


HTH

 

[Christmasfish]

Enriched enviroment..that works in a nutshell..
Let me say how they WONT breed..
Temp too cool specially below 80
Water too hard, ,specially over 7.5
Tank too barren
Tank too small/crowded
Tank has aggressives (they are not).


Thre are more artificial means I guess, with certain types

I don't breed regular fish since it is time consuming and expensive..
but because I truly love labyrinths, I am getting into some SMP's
And picking the more homely varieties. Sme of those are rare too and you don't see a lot of concern.

My kid on the other hand is breeding fancy bettas to enter shows with.

And on a sidenote; so far I have only tried breading on gourami, I haven't sampled any other specie groups that are in my care..